


Tilted Axis

by lasersheith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, eventual happy ending because I'm weak, master!shiro, padawan!keith, rip texas kogane sorry buddy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24012268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasersheith/pseuds/lasersheith
Summary: Keith's universe is upended after the unexpected death of his Master. Can Jedi Knight Takashi Shirogane fill that role and keep Keith on the path of Light? Only time will tell.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	Tilted Axis

**Author's Note:**

> spoilers from the summary: Of course he can. (Obi-Wan voice) That's... why I'm here.

The Room of a Thousand Fountains used to be Keith’s favorite spot in the Temple, if not the galaxy. Dozens of lazy days had been spent in “reflection” with his Master along the shores of the beautiful waterfalls. They had been some of the happiest days of Keith’s life, but now the rush of water and scent of fresh foliage brought him only pain. It had been weeks since he’d been able to meditate and he could hardly feel the Force at all. He’d already lost his Master and now he felt as though he were losing himself as well. 

As he sat in contemplation, the air shifted and the briefest tug of alarm pulled Keith from the deep recesses of his mind to find a Knight had approached and sat beside him, not quite within arm’s reach. 

Keith didn’t recognize the man by name but had seen him around the Temple a few times. He was young, though older than Keith. Only recently Knighted if Keith had to guess. His black hair was tied in a short bun at the nape of his neck and his gray-brown eyes stayed fixed on the water, not looking at Keith. 

Suddenly a familiar surge of annoyance rushed through him. Many of his fellow Jedi had approached Keith since his Master’s passing; they all hoped to aid him in his grief and assess him for a new teacher. 

Keith didn’t want a new Master. He wanted  _ his  _ Master. But Master Kogane was gone. 

“I never really liked this room when I was a Padawan. Too quiet, but too loud at the same time. It always weirded me out,” the Knight said casually. 

Keith grunted in response. He didn’t know what to say, what this man could want. He just wanted to be left alone. 

“My Master used to tell me that I would find solace here when my thoughts were as calm as the river.” He shook his head and chuckled. “ _ But it’s not calm at all,  _ I’d say.  _ Just look at the waterfall, it’s splashing all over the place!  _ I never really understood what point he was trying to make.” 

“That makes two of us,” Keith grumbled. His voice was rough and froggy. They were the first words he’d said in days. 

“I figured it out, eventually.” 

Keith waited expectantly, sure that he was about to receive more unsolicited Wisdom when all he wanted was time to sort out his thoughts. When the man stayed quiet, still staring at the water, Keith grew even more annoyed. 

“You gonna enlighten me, then?” He finally barked out, crossing his arms. 

The Knight laughed and turned toward him with a smirk. “Nah, you’re a smart kid. I’m sure you’ll figure it out too.” 

Keith almost reached for his lightsaber, probably would have if it had been anyone else. But for some reason, the moment those eyes met his, Keith felt more at ease than he had since Master Kogane’s death. 

“I’m Shiro by the way, in case you were wondering.” 

“Not really,” Keith spat, though the venom in his voice had lost its bite. 

Shiro stood and brushed some grass from his robe. “Well, I’ll be in the hangar logging some time in the Interceptor simulator if you want to get some practice in.” He walked past Keith a few paces before stopping and looking back over his shoulder with a kind smile. “I promise I don’t have any more cryptic riddles for you.” 

It only took Keith a few more minutes alone, staring balefully at the water eddying against the rocks, before he stood to follow. 

…

Most Jedi were educated in the basic theory of flying as younglings but only those that expressed interest and displayed particular aptitude worked up to more advanced lessons after being chosen by a Master. Keith had always had an interest in flying and his Master had let him take the controls when they were in remote regions sometimes, laughing as Keith tried to show off fancy maneuvers he’d read about in his lessons. They had been meaning to get Keith some time in the simulators before…

Keith shook his head, refusing to allow himself to follow that train of thought. 

True to his word, Shiro was already inside the Interceptor simulator when Keith arrived. The display showed the route Shiro was supposed to be taking, filled with obstacles ranging from pirates to asteroids to random explosions that Keith couldn’t seem to make sense of. Random lights signifying various system failures blinked as Shiro sped through the course, fixing some and ignoring others. Keith felt like he could watch for hours. 

Eventually, though, Shiro completed the simulated mission’s objective- something about escorting a diplomatic convoy. Scores flashed up on the screen and Shiro laughed, thrusting a fist in the air in celebration at the marks. He turned to grin at the small crowd of Padawans that had gathered to watch his progress, and then his eyes met Keith’s. 

Shiro’s whole face softened, melting into an almost shy, genuine smile. He raised a hand in greeting, making way for the next person to step into the simulator. Keith didn’t want to draw any attention to himself, couldn’t bear the thought of dealing with anyone else expressing their condolences, but didn’t move away as Shiro approached. 

“Glad you could make it,” he said with a smile, taking a spot next to Keith in the group watching the next person’s run. 

Keith shrugged. “It was pretty cool to watch. Thanks for the invite.” 

Shiro smiled and thanked him for coming. They stood quietly together, watching until the Padawan in the simulator swore as their ship exploded and a red banner reading  _ Mission Failed _ flashed across the screen. Shiro called out encouragement as the simulator reset and urged them to try again. 

“Is it always this… busy?” Keith asked as a few more people joined the group. 

It was Shiro’s turn to shrug. “Nah, it’ll die down in a few minutes.” 

Most of the would-be pilots that followed didn’t try missions as long or complicated as Shiro’s had been and just as Shiro had promised, the crowd dwindled until they were the only ones left standing. 

“So, you wanna give it a try?” Shiro asked, wiggling his eyebrows in a way that made Keith want to laugh. 

The laugh didn’t quite make it out of his chest, getting lodged somewhere in the back of his throat. Keith stared at the helmet in Shiro’s hand for a long moment before taking it and quickly settling into the pilot’s seat. 

“Which one should I do?” He asked after a long moment staring at the list in front of him. 

“Do a five, I’m curious about something,” Shiro suggested. 

Keith had to scroll a long way to get to a mission marked with a red five in the corner. It should have made him nervous, but for some reason he felt calmer than he could remember being in a long time. Shiro was quietly pointing out various controls and indicators while the mission loaded and squeezed Keith’s shoulder as the countdown began. 

The chair moved just the slightest amount as Keith adjusted controls, quickly reading over the bulleted mission outline before it left the screen. Stars appeared, and then planets, ships, and asteroids. Keith’s hands glided across the controls like he’d done this mission a thousand times before. The Force seemed to guide him through wave after wave of hostile ship encounters, around bursts of radiation, and past scattered debris in his path. 

Keith didn’t realize that he’d completed the mission until Shiro’s excited whoop of joy startled him out of his trance-like state. He pulled off the helmet and a laugh did finally bubble its way past his lips as his scores filled the screen. 

“That was incredible, Keith!” Shiro beamed, grabbing both of Keith’s shoulders and shaking lightly. “I had a feeling after what the Council said, but this proves it!” 

Those words wrung all the joy and contentment out of Keith like water from a twisted sponge. “The Council told you to talk to me?” 

Shiro’s face fell and his mouth opened and closed a few times as he grasped for the right words. 

Keith wasn’t interested in hearing any of them. The Council had been throwing potential Masters at him left and right since a week after Master Kogane’s funeral, no matter how many times he told them he wasn’t ready. 

As he turned to walk away, Shiro stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Keith,” Shiro started, voice patient and calm. “The Council did ask me to meet with you and see if we had a connection. They’re all worried about how deeply this loss is affecting you, and so am I.” 

Keith gritted his teeth and balled his fists at his sides. 

“But I know what it’s like to lose a Master and I’m not going to ask you to be my Padawan, not yet at least.” Shiro sighed and turned his head back toward the simulator as his words failed to relieve any of the tension radiating from Keith. “But until you’re ready to think about what your future in the Order might hold, I’d like to teach you what I know about flying.” 

Slowly, Keith let his jaw and shoulders relax. He looked up into Shiro’s eyes and felt that sense of calm wash over him again. Even slower still, he nodded.


End file.
